May We Suggest

Summer Fruit and Cheese

Summer fruits are in full season on the East Coast. The glimmer of blueberries ushers in a whole wealth of scrumptious gems as the season progresses. Right now I can’t get enough of berries stone fruits, which seem to have endless possibilities in the kitchen & on the cheese board.

Everyone already knows that berries & cream are exquisite together, but I’ve found the complex & subtle nuances of cheese pair incredibly well with the luscious flavors of the berry world.

Berries & cheese are a pretty fool-proof pairing. In the cheese world, the main idea of a pairing is to highlight the best qualities of the cheese while complementing the flavors of the fruit.

I have been hacking away at Vermont Butter & Cheese Company’s Bijou, which literally translates to “jewel” in French. This sensual & petite bloomed goat’s milk gem has a creamy & crowd pleasing firm center. Bijou gets its wrinkly & brain-like look from a yeast called geotrichum, which allows the rind to expand & then shrink back.

I find that this creamy-dreamy goes well with pretty much every summer fruit, but my personal favorite pairing is blueberries, fresh or jammed. The sweet & acidic flavor of the blueberry complements the tangy flavors of the goats milk, caused by its relatively low butterfat content.

When pairing goats milk cheeses with berries, pretty much everything is a winner, but play around with fruits that have compatible flavors to match the nuttiness of the goats milk.

1 pint sour cherries, pitted

1/2 cup raspberries

1/2 cup fresh whipped chévre

Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Line 4 small mason jars or other small glasses. Spoon 2 tablespoons of chevre into each glass & smooth surface. Spoon 2 tablespoons of berries overtop & smooth surface. Repeat the process, adding a bit of honey here & there, to taste. Experiment with strawberries & mascarpone with balsamic as an alternative!